“You can’t be who you can’t see.” 

That’s a phrase USC Iovine and Young Academy student Ire Omitowoju lives by. As the programming chair of the Black Student Assembly (BSA) at USC, Omitowoju played an integral role in putting together USC’s first ever Black Career Fair on February 1. The inaugural event welcomed over 330 student attendees and participating companies, including Boeing, Sony, and SoundCloud.

Aiming to bridge the gap between the workforce and Black students, the Black Career Fair continues BSA’s mission of providing a safe and uplifting space for Black students on campus. The significance of the milestone initiative is not lost on Omitowoju, who says representation is at the forefront of everything she does. 

“With the constant search for professional guidance and the lack of diversity found in a lot of fields, I saw an opportunity for BSA to connect many different communities together: Black professional organizations, Black-owned businesses/companies, and Black students,” she explains. “While there is already a career fair on campus, there is something unique and special about seeing people who look like you running entire operations and intentionally looking out for potential employees and interns that look like them!” 

The inaugural fair consisted of two parts – traditional career fair tabling and sit-down speed networking. Managing a team of 12 students on outreach, marketing, and logistics, Omitowoju notes her biggest organizational challenge was connecting with recruiters since this was a first-time event. After starting at just zero in January, 17 esteemed corporations were secured to attend. Guess, Paramount Global, Riot Games, and National Football League were among those involved, representing a wide range of industries from entertainment and tech to architecture and consulting. 

The goal is for the Black Career Fair to be an annual event for years to come. After an overwhelming response and surprising turnout for 2023 – 543 students registered and 339 attendees – its promising future might mean a bigger venue and even more companies on board. Omitowoju points out the intimate and encouraging set-up of the event, as recruiters were given a distinctive chance to sit down with students and get to know them on a more personal level. She hopes students were able to gain mentorship, as well as internship and job opportunities, from the company representatives. 

IYA students [from left to right]: Amara Chimezie, Ayonnah Tinsley, Khalil Mayden

Proud of her team and the fair’s success, Omitowoju observed the impactful power of those collectively striving to foster more supportive and diverse workplaces.				

“This event was meaningful because I knew the impact of allowing Black students at this predominantly white institution,” she shares. “It was so beautiful to see so many high-achieving Black people from all different backgrounds – recruiters, students, media – come together to invest in the future.”

As the programming chair of the Black Student Assembly (BSA) at USC, Ire Omitowoju played an integral role in putting together USC’s first ever Black Career Fair on February 1. The inaugural event welcomed over 330 student attendees and participating companies, including Boeing, Sony, and SoundCloud.

IYA Student Organizes USC'S First Black Career Fair